Besson loves his punky misfit heroines, and La Femme Nikita
(Parillaud) is his best - a woman saved from execution on condition that
she becomes a super spy. Given respect and attention she blossoms,
experiences freedom and then the grim price of it when she is called into
action. While not quite as accomplished as Leon, this film has bags of
style and tension, and even has time to let Parillaud palpably grow as
the whippet-paced narrative slams both her and the audience
incessantly around the cranium. Frenetic and powerful.
